The Black Panthers Speak (Paperback)

by Philip S. Foner (Author) "Between October 1 and October 15, 1966, in North Oakland, California, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale prepared the ten-point platform and program of the..." (more)
Key Phrases: Eldridge Cleaver, Bobby Seale, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"The closest thing we're going to get to a rebuttal to [the] organized attempt to destroy the Panthers' legacy." -- Ishmael Reed --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
The first and only collection of the most vital, representative writings of the party, this book explains the Black Panther Party's court battles and acquittals, its position on black separatism, the power structure, the police, violence, and education, what the Party stood for, and what issues they confronted--almost all of which remain unresolved today.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 21, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306806274
• ISBN-13: 978-0306806278
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,167,036 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true synopsis of the Panthers, that should be read by ALL, March 2, 1999

By A Customer

The Black Panthers Speak is the BEST book out for Americans who want to know what the Panthers stood for. Nobody's interpretation of what the Panthers were about, but only the speeches, letters, and court transcripts of Black Panther members. This book should be read by Americans of ALL ethnicities. Use it to understand that the Black Panthers were a party for ALL people in the struggle for freedom.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Introduction, May 2, 2002

By	JB (Sandy, UT USA) - See all my reviews

Knowing absolutely nothing about the Black Panthers I picked up this collection one day and read nearly straight through it. I came away with what I think is a fairly good idea of the goals of the Black Panther Party, not the same one I had generally heard or been taught growing up. Instead of them being the black racists many tend to think they are, what would be the equal opposite of the KKK (who, versus the Panthers' few years of existence, have been operating for more than 100 years), I learned that they could be more adequately labeled as classists, in the Marxist-Lenin tradition. As Eldridge Cleaver, one-time minister of information for the Black Panther Party, "You speak of an 'undying love' for black people. An undying love for black people that denies the humanity of other people is doomed. It was an undying love of white people for each other which led them to deny the humanity of colored people and which has stripped white people of humanity itself." I don't see a lot of "hating whitey" there, as Horowitz and other conservatives would have you believe, but more of a gelling together of the dregs of humanity in an attempt to alter its condition, the stance that Malcolm X eventually evolved to, and, later, the Panthers.

Perhaps we as humanity have come a ways, maybe thanks to them, since the Panthers first took up arms, defying the police to beat, shoot or incarcerate them. I say this because eight years ago a similar movement began in the southern highlands of Mexico, another marginalized group taking up arms in order to say,"Take notice, we're not taking it anymore." Instead of being branded thugs and criminals, the Zapatistas captured the hearts and minds of the world and continue their quest for equal rights and protection under the law.

According to their own writings (the real beauty of this book), these guys are not the black KKK or black neo-nazis, contrary to some opinion.

I found the writings of Eldridge Cleaver, a one-time candidate for president, to be some of my favorite.

I'll close with a citation from Julian Bond, which I think sums up what the Black Panther Party was really about: "What the Panthers do more than anything else is they set a standard that young black people particularly want to measure up to...It's a standard of aggressiveness, of militance, of just plain forcefulness, the sort of standard we haven't had in the past. Our idols have been Dr. King who, for all his beauty as a man, was not an aggressive man." Even Dr. King began to take a more aggressive approach before he was gunned down. It's not hate or intimidation, but standing up for oneself as a man.

I recommend complementary readings of the Autobiography of Malcolm X and the Wretched of the Earth.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is THE book on the Black Panthers!, January 25, 2005

By	Taalib A. Muhammad "Seek Knowledge From The C... (New York City, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Black Panthers Speak (Paperback)

Interested in the original Black Panthers? Read books on them? Seen a movie? Heard the hype? Well now is the time to read for yourself the ACTUAL WORDS of those who lead the movement. Familiarize yourself with the ideology of the organization and it's goals and objectives. Review the speeches of Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, Eldrige Cleaver and others. This book will give the reader an insightful view into the true workings and mindset of the Panthers...without the bias hype or romanticizing of the organization. The unsubstantiated negative connotations connected to the Panthers are clearly dispelled here, as their political/social/economic philosophy is delivered in clear, concise dialogue that will leave even the most prejudiced researcher re-evaluating his/her perception of the movement. I highly recommend it!